Thursday, March 18, 2010

I ♥ my job. It is like nothing I have ever done and everything I have ever prepared for in life. It uses all of my training and background (something my amazing husband has prayed for since before we got married). It is very busy, at times quite difficult...and the perfect choice for this time in my life. I have felt more at ease here from the very beginning than I ever have at previous jobs. This is interesting considering I entered with a measure of trepidation. I worried (as always) about the "what ifs" in the week between accepting the job and actually starting. I was completely overwhelmed at the enormity of the task before me that very first day (largely because I was unsure exactly what my responsibilities would be on a day-to-day basis). That all began to dissipate within the first few days.
I have already encountered a number of things I would have never considered myself prepared for if I had been warned of them beforehand. I have trusted my instincts on these and other things and it has worked for me. I have given myself more grace and space to figure it all out over these next few months than I have ever given myself in the past. I am relatively sure this is due to the fact that my work environment is grace-filled. I work with pastors and people who are all about the ministry of peace and presence. This, for me, makes all the difference in the world.

So I ♥ my job. It is wonderfully complicated, deeply humbling, and exceptionally challenging. It is just what I never knew I always wanted.*

*I do not mean for this to cheapen my experiences in student ministry over the years. I believe that was where God wanted me then...and this is now. Our ultimate call - to God Himself - never changes. Our vocational calling is ever-evolving, even if we find ourselves in the same sort of ministry throughout our lives. God uses us in different ways and through a variety of avenues throughout our lives. And besides...the student ministry stuff is already coming in handy, too and I feel certain God will continue to use those experiences in this one. :)